Allegheny County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to pass a bill that moves up the deadline to appeal property assessments. And it began the process of considering a bill to provide senior citizens with some protection against a potential spike in their own assessed values.
Council gave final approval to a measure that would require property owners to appeal their values for 2025 tax bills on October 1, instead of the following spring.
Supporters say the change will make budgeting easier for local officials. Under the current timeline, the window for appeals closes in the spring — after most city and county tax bills have been sent to property owners. If the county’s Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review later reduces the property’s value, taxing bodies might be responsible for issuing a refund.
Council Republican Sam DeMarco, who introduced the bill last month, said the bill served a couple of purposes: “One, it gives the taxpayer certainty in what their taxes are going to be for 2025. Two, it gives all the taxing bodies — municipalities, school districts, city and county — the ability to budget, knowing how much money they can expect to take in from the tax revenue.”
Under the legislation, in years when a reassessment occurs, property owners or taxing bodies will be required to file an appeal within 30 days of learning that a property’s assessed value had changed.
Meanwhile, Council will soon review another bill related to assessments in an apparent attempt to prepare for a possible court-ordered countywide property reassessment.
Legislation proposed by Democrat Dan Grzybek Tuesday would take advantage of a state law that limits property tax increases for senior citizens. The provision caps the increase such homeowners will be subject to, limiting it to the percentage change in values across the tax base as a whole.
Supporters say it would help insulate some long-time homeowners from a sudden spike in property taxes, which could follow a court-ordered reassessment.
Pittsburgh Public Schools filed a lawsuit in April that could result in a judge issuing such a mandate.
The bill is pending in committee.
